With Raffles Country Club (RCC) set to wind down its operations following the Government’s acquisition of its site, club employees who are poised to lose their jobs will be offered help in the form of retraining and job-hunting, said Mr Desmond Choo, executive secretary of the Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union (AREU), yesterday.

The union will also be working closely with RCC’s management to “ensure the affected workers are fairly compensated and treated for their loyal service to the club”, said Mr Choo, who is also a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC, in a Facebook post.

“Our union leaders and industrial relations officers will be on-site to guide workers through these difficult and uncertain times,” he said, adding that the AREU will work with the National Trades Union Congress’ Employment and Employability Institute.

The RCC has about 200 employees, said club president Paul Singh.

Several RCC employees said yesterday that they were shocked at the sudden announcement that the 143ha country club will be acquired to make way for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project.

However, the workers told TODAY that they would need further details before deciding what they should do next.

Mr M Karnan, a golf executive who manages a team of 21 employees, said they were all “definitely disappointed” by the news.

He added that he would be waiting for more information from the club’s management before starting his job hunt.

Mr Kunalan Kalildas, who joined RCC as a cleaner just a month ago, said he is worried about the club’s impending closure.

“I have no choice, I will find other jobs when the time comes,” he added.

Mr Singh told TODAY that RCC employees “would be part and parcel” of the whole process to end the club’s operations, but did not elaborate. The club will also work closely with the authorities, he added.

Last October, Jurong Country Club held a three-day job fair to help its 111 employees find new jobs amid its preparations to close down for good on Dec 31. The JCC is the first country club whose land was acquired for the HSR project.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by Alfred Chua

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